Improvement in piano-forte agraffes



F. W. NIEH-AUS.

Pianoforte-Agraffe. i N0, 161,260' Patented March 23,1875.

W NW UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRIEDRICH W. NIEHAUS, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANOrFORTE AGRAFFES.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 161,266, dated March 23,1875; application filed January 28, 1875.

To all whom t 'may concern:

Beit known that I, F. W. NIEHAUs, of St. Louis, in the county of St.Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Sounding-Boards for Piano-Fortes 5 and I do herebydeclare that the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompany drawings, and to theletters ot' rei"- erence marked thereon, which form part of thisspecication.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction of an agrafte tobe placed upon the sounding-board bridge, and through and over which thestrings pass, whereby a clearer, stronger, and fuller tone ot' theinstrument is obtained.

In order to enable others, skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the saine, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure l is a plan view of my invention 5 sounding-board bridge C isplaced an agraft'e, I), over which the strings a pass. The agraii'e l)is fastened to the sounding-board bridge U by means of a screw, and thestrings passed through small holes drilled through the front of theagratfe. In order to give the strings a good pressure in the holes, theyare drawn over a small piece of wood, b, which is placed on top otl theagraffe. The agraffe gives the right pressure on the sounding-board andon the strings, besides keeping the strings firmly and' securely intheir places. The strings cannot possibly come loose. The pinsheretofore used will, in time, become loose, but this agrafte remainsalways firm and secure.

By this improvement a clearer, fuller, and stronger tone is obtained.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

'Ihe agraire D, constructed as described, with holes for the passage ofthe strings, and provided with the block b, in combination with thesounding-board bridge, substantially as and for the purpose herein setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I hereby afx mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

FRIEDRICH VILLIAM NIEHAUS.

Witnesses:

JULIUs H. GEENER, GEORGE ULAss.

